If we believe the global data, a mobile phone is lost every second. This also means that a person may “find” the lost phone every second. As you probably know, every mobile phone has a unique 15 digit IMEI number which is given by the mobile manufacturer. This number has all the nitty-gritty details — from the model of the phone to the country of approval of the handset.
If a person finds the phone then he/she can either turn it ON and call the owner or simply keep the phone. If the phone fails to boot up, which happens often with smartphones that fall from a certain height, then you have no other option but to look up the details online using IMEI trackers and other kinds of IMEI checkers.
These tools will reveal only the details related to the phone, and they will not help you find the lost or stolen devices. Most of the sites, unfortunately, are publishing that having the IMEI number of a phone can help them find the accurate location of the device, which is simply not true. What you can do with the IMEI number is know some details. Here, we explain and analyse these concepts.
Understanding IMEI Numbers
Every IMEI number is actually a group of 3 sets. In other words, the 15-digit IMEI number has three parts: one is the TAC, other is FAC and the last set is SNR. Here’s the complete breakdown:
- TAC is Type Allocation Code, which is the first 6 digits of your phone’s IMEI number.
- FAC is FInal Assembly Code, which is the next 3 digits of your phone’s IMEI number.
- SNR is the Serial Number, which is the last 6 digits (after TAC and FAC) of your phone’s IMEI number.
Obtaining Details of IMEI of Your Phone Model
If you have ever checked IMEI numbers online using free tools and websites, you will know that none of the above details will help you in any way. Only the geeks and technical folks will find this information useful. Still, to be able to recover or track a phone is next to impossible using the above data.
In fact, SIM card of your phone can do a better job in tracking devices compared to the IMEIs. Sad that carrier networks — the majority of them — will never allow normal phone owners to trace their lost or stolen devices through the SIM card. Reason? Thousands of phones are lost every hour, and if they “help” people to find the devices then they will be deviating from their real business.